A/N:Oi! Sorry about the delay in chapter postings, My intention was to post this earlier but my computer died! Well, to make a long story short, I was able to get it working again (with new insides) and to save all my stories!! (looks for backup options...) So, here's chapter 8!
The next day was hectic for Harry as he rushed out of bed to meet Hermione only a few hours after he'd finally gotten to sleep. They walked and he passed on the news that Sunday was free.
"I'll send Hedwig with instructions Sunday morning," Harry said as they picked the pace up just a little bit. "You can either Floo or apparate and I need to open the wards to allow you entrance."
"Is this a vault?" she asked with a laugh.
Harry chortled and shook his head. "Far from it, but there are quite a bit of protections in place, it was difficult getting the Floo hooked up."
Hermione smiled and they continued their walk, ending in a stretch. "I'm still trying to decide what to cook for tomorrow night, do you have any suggestions?"
"After that mash you made... and it was just thrown together... I think anything would be wonderful," he said with a smile. "Will you have to follow your diet or is it a free evening?"
"I thought about that, but haven't been able to get away from class to ask James," she said as they grabbed their towels. "He tends to go home for lunch and tea except when we have patrol," she explained after a moment. "Maybe he'll be in his office before classes..." Hermione smiled and waved as they parted. "See you Saturday morning!" she called.
Harry waved his reply and jogged back to the gate. "Got to hurry," he said under his breath as he apparated back to the house. He nearly ran to the bathroom to find the shower already occupied.
"Oh, you're home!" Tonks said after a moment.
"I need to hurry," he said between gasps. "Mind if we save some water?"
She sported a roguish smile as she opened the curtain for him. "I think I'm rubbing off on you," she said with a laugh as he grabbed the soap and began cleaning himself off.
"You are a bad influence on me, dear," he said with his own grin. She took the soap from him and scrubbed his back as he shampooed and they reversed duty as he rinsed. "Thanks for the help," he said as he gathered her long, auburn hair to the other side of her neck to kiss her shoulder. "I'm done, but I'll see you for lunch..."
"Alright, Love," she said with a smile and turned to kiss him.
"Love?" he asked with a slight smile and confusion written on his face.
Tonks winced. "Is there something wrong with your wife calling you by a pet name?" she asked.
"No, not at all," he said with a blush. He bent and kissed her tenderly before stepping out of the shower. "I've got to get to the office but I'll see you at noon," he said with a smile.
"Noon? What about breakfast?" she asked over the sound of the water.
"No time, Hermione let slip that she's going to visit the office. Anything particular you want for tomorrow?" he asked as he toweled off and slipped into a clean set of clothes.
"Anything's fine with me," she said absently from the shower.
"Alright, I'll see you at lunch!" Harry said with a wave then ran to the fireplace. He had just seated himself when a knock came at his office door. "Come in," he said as he pulled out his coursework for the day.
"Good Morning," Hermione said with a bright smile. "I was hoping I'd catch you this morning."
"You're in a good mood," Harry said with a returned smile. "Getting used to the exercise?"
"After the third day, the soreness seems to have gone away," she said after a slight yawn. "But it's tiring with the long hours."
"So what can I do for you on this wonderful morning?" he asked as he set aside his stack of papers.
"It slipped my mind to ask what you'd like me to cook tomorrow," she said, "and I was too busy to see you before now," she added with an apologetic shrug.
"No need to apologize," he said with a grin. "Actually, Marion and I were talking about tomorrow and anything is fine with us."
"Should I be concerned about my training diet?"
"I don't think one meal, within reason, would be too bad," he said, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "Make it with less carbohydrate laden foods, say more meat than pasta and if you use pasta, substitute the noodles with something like soba. The key is to increase the proteins over the carbohydrates without sacrificing the food you love to eat."
Hermione nodded and looked up with a smile. "I think I have the menu for tomorrow. Will you be at the Great Hall for lunch or tea today?"
"Lunch, no, but I will be for tea unless Marion surprises me again tonight," he said with a smile. "She went all out last night, wine, candles, the whole deal."
Hermione smiled wistfully. "I remember times like that," she said softly.
"I'm sure you'll have them again, just get into an argument with your boyfriend or husband and as part of the make-up, cook for them," he smiled wickedly. "Or... have him cook it..."
Hermione let out a laugh and shook her head. "I don't have anyone like that in my life, but I'll keep it in mind." She looked at the clock and smiled. "I should head to class, see you at tea, or not," she said with another laugh and left his office.
Harry yawned and stretched as he sat down. "It's going to be a long day today," he mumbled sleepily as he gathered his materials.
"How was your walk this morning?" Tonks asked as they swept the house for inadvertent clues to their identities Saturday morning.
"It was fine. We talked about parts of the war that we both experienced," Harry said as he waved his hand and the dishes found their places in the cupboards. "I didn't realize that she'd given me the strength I needed to finish what I was born to do..."
"You were not a weapon to be used and you know that!" Tonks scolded, setting down a basket of laundry. "Don't go back to that line of thinking!"
"Well, that's how I see it," he said as she put her hands on his shoulders and turned him to her. "You were the only friend I had at the time..." he said quietly as she pulled him into a hug. "With you off doing espionage, I poured myself into the fight."
"Listen, if I could have been there for you, I would have," Tonks said softly into his ear. "I know you were lonely, so was I, and we've got each other to lean on now." She pulled back enough to kiss him gently. "Hermione's back in your life now and things will get better." she said almost sadly.
"Hey..." Harry cupped her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. "Just because Hermione's back doesn't mean I'm going to stop being here for you," he said reassuringly. "I'm not Ron and I do my best to keep promises."
Tonks smiled wanly but nodded. "I know you're better than that," she whispered quietly. "Just don't fall back on that weapon excuse!" she said sternly. "You are better than that..."
Harry nodded and rested his forehead against hers. "I'll try," he said quietly. He looked into her hazel eyes and smiled. "I'm glad you chose this color," Harry said after a moment. "Hazel suits you."
Tonks blushed and gave him another, longer, kiss before she pulled away. "We need to get this place straightened up. If you keep sweet talking me like that, we won't get anything done!"
Harry laughed and kissed her forehead. "Right you are! Let's get this place clean."
A couple hours later, following another shared shower, the couple of Aurors were lounging in their sitting room, waiting for Hermione to arrive. It didn't take long until a knock sounded at the door and Harry opened it to a smiling Hermione.
"Let me help you with those bags," he said with a returned smile and gently lifted them from her arms.
"I hope I'm not too late," Hermione said as she hung her cloak on a free peg by the door. "I had to pick up a few ingredients from London and I was afraid there wouldn't be enough time."
"You're fine, Hermione," Tonks said with a smile. "Why don't I give you the tour while James takes those into the kitchen?"
With a smile, Hermione followed the disguised Tonks on a brief tour of the house, ending with the kitchen.
"This is a lovely place," Hermione said with a smile. "And I love your kitchen."
"James does a bit of cooking when he feels up to it," Tonks said with a laugh as she wrapped her arm around Harry's waist.
Harry looked at her before recuperating with his arm around her shoulders. "Well, don't let this one fool you; she's an old hand in the kitchen as well." Tonks kissed him on the cheek and they both laughed, Hermione joining in as she moved to the bags. "Do you need any help?" he asked as he and his pretend wife separated. Harry began peeking in the different bags curiously and Hermione shook her head.
"Today I'll do the cooking and you two can lounge about," she said with a laugh as Tonks pulled him from the grocery sacks. "There's just a bit of preparation then an hour or so for the oven to do its magic," she said with a smile.
"Why don't James and I break out the game table?" Tonks asked with a smile. "That should give us something to occupy our time..."
"That's a wonderful idea, dear," Harry said with a grin. "I'll pull it from the attic if you'll clear the coffee table out of the way."
"I'll be here working on tea," Hermione said with a smile. She nervously glanced at the clock then shook her head when she realized what she'd done. "Old habits..." she muttered under her breath and started unloading the bags.
Several minutes later, Harry had the game table set in the sitting room. Tonks set about polishing the pieces and the board while Harry snuck into the kitchen for a peek.
"Are you sure there's nothing I can help with?" he asked as he poked around a simmering pot.
"James! Let Hermione do her thing and get back in here!" Tonks yelled from the other room.
Harry winced and smiled apologetically to her before scurrying back into the sitting room.
"Just leave her alone..." Tonks said irritably. "Why don't you finish the table and I'll get drinks?" Without waiting for his response, Tonks tossed the cloth she was using to him and disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later, after a bout of laughter from the two women, Tonks walked into the room with glasses of fresh pumpkin juice.
"What was so funny?" Harry asked absently as he tightened the screws that held the table legs steady.
"Just girl talk," Tonks said with a wry grin. "Are we ready for some backgammon?" she asked over the rim of her cup.
"Should... be..." he replied as he set the table down and wiggled it for stability. "That should do it, I'm going to wash my hands before we play." With a smile, he went to the bathroom and exited a few moments later.
"Tea should be ready in half an hour," Hermione said from the doorway. "It's just a matter of letting things simmer away at this point."
The three of them took turns playing the various games the table had stored within it -Harry and Hermione adamantly refusing to play any form of chess- and they talked lightly about school and various students they had in their classes.
"I think I've adjusted well," Hermione responded after Tonks questioned her about her transfer from the Ministry. "It's far busier and helps me keep my mind off of things."
"How's the exercise manual holding up?" Harry asked as he had one of his checkers upgraded to king.
"I've lost a few centimeters and five kilos so far," Hermione said with a smile. "I expect it'll slow down after my body gets used to the exercise."
"After about two weeks," Harry said absently. "That's when we upgrade to jogging and add weight training to your timetable."
Hermione looked up in surprise. "Weight training? Won't I bulk up then?"
Tonks laughed. "No, he'll probably put you on low weight, high repetition, more to mould your muscles than to bulk them up."
Hermione nodded. "Right, I read something along those lines." She glanced at the clock out of habit and shook her head. "I really need to stop that, but it's saved the food, I'll be right back."
"Do you need any help plating?" Tonks asked brightly.
Hermione shook her head. "If you could set the table that should be more than enough," she said with a smile. "I'll take care of the cooking and plating."
Excited to do something rather than sit around and smell the wonderful fragrances that were wafting from their kitchen, Harry and Tonks eagerly laid the flatware and plates out on the table.
Hermione walked in a few minutes later carrying two bowls of soup and set them down before dashing back into the kitchen, returning with another bowl for herself and a basket of sliced French bread and cheese wedges. "First course is ready," she said cheerfully.
"First course?" Tonks and Harry said in unison as the three of them took their seats, Harry helping both of the women with their chairs.
"Soup - just a little bouillabaisse - French bread and cheddar," Hermione beamed. "When my parents and I went to France on holiday I had the opportunity to try some. I liked it so much that I taught myself how to make it."
Harry tried an experimental spoonful and his eyes lit up as the delicious liquid spilled over his tongue. "This is very good," he said with a smile as he took another spoonful. "So, are you and your family world travelers?"
"We've tried to vacation in different places," she said after swallowing a piece of bread and washing it down with a sip of her wine. "My parents wanted me to experience more than school and my bedroom."
"Didn't you have anybody to play with when you were younger?" Tonks asked sympathetically.
"Before Hogwarts I was a loner," Hermione admitted quietly. "And for the first five years I attended there I had three best friends, but we drifted apart before we finished Hogwarts... Why we did, I'm not comfortable with talking about just yet, but I regret it."
The conversation soon turned to James and Marion, how they met and when they were married. Tonks and Harry answered the questions with the proper enthusiasm of two people madly in love and Harry watched as Hermione smiled at the two of them. A bell rang in the kitchen and Hermione excused herself once again.
She reappeared momentarily with three plates, handing Harry and Tonks theirs and setting hers on the table. One more trip into the kitchen and she returned with two large gravy dishes.
"I thought it would be fun to combine a German and a Swedish dish for the main course," Hermione explained as she retook her seat. "I prepared some of the meat before I left but we have Schweinebraten with various vegetables and I have two gravies, one is Swedish, Äppelmos, and the other is derived from the meat."
Harry inhaled deeply before he looked at Hermione and smiled. "And what do they mean?" he asked inquisitively. "I'd guess Äppelmos has something to do with apples and Schweinebraten with pork?"
Hermione laughed. "Sorry, yes, Äppelmos is stewed and mashed apples, you pour it over the meat, and Schweinebraten is the German way to say Roast Pork."
Harry nodded and ladled a small amount of both gravies on his plate. "To see which I like best," he said with a laugh. Hermione and Tonks joined in and they went to work on their plates. Seconds were called for and soon it was time for dessert.
"Just a simple cheesecake," Hermione said with a wistful smile. The glitter in her eyes told Harry that she'd spent quite some time perfecting this dish. "Raspberries, Strawberries, and Cherries as you like," she said as she set the dessert and fruit on the table.
Not a crumb was left when Harry leaned back in his chair and groaned happily. "You could give the house-elves at Hogwarts a run for their money," he said with a smile. "I don't think I've eaten this well since Marion cooked for me last time."
"That was just the other day, James!" Tonks exclaimed with a laugh and slapped his arm playfully.
Harry recoiled as she came at him again after he laughed and finished off his wine when their laughter died down.
"This was a wonderful meal," Tonks said with a smile. "You are truly an excellent chef, thank you."
Hermione blushed and reached for the empty plates but Harry stopped her. "Oh, no," he said with a serious face. "You cooked for us, we'll do the cleanup." Without another word and before Hermione could stop him, Harry flicked his wand and set the dishes to washing themselves. "Though why should we do it the Muggle way in a wizarding village?" he asked with a sly grin.
Tonks and Hermione laughed as they refilled their wine glasses and took seats in front of the fire. The evening filled with small talk about the weather and the upcoming Christmas holiday. Tonks had lazily set her leg on top of Harry's as the evening wore on and after a few hours, Hermione smiled and stood.
"I should head back to the school," she said after Harry and Tonks got to their feet. "I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow."
"Extra lesson plans?" Harry asked as he retrieved her cloak.
"Actually, I'm spending the day with an old friend with whom I hope I can repair our friendship," she said, blushing slightly.
"Ah, one of the ones that you drifted away from?" Tonks asked as she returned from the kitchen.
Hermione nodded and her hosts didn't press the matter.
"Good luck then," Harry said as they saw her out the door. "Don't forget, one more week and the real workout starts. If it's alright with you, I'd like to get you started personally without anybody else present, then, after you've learned the new routine, you can bring anyone else you want."
"Don't be a stranger, Hermione," Tonks said with a smile. "I'm here if you need to talk shop..."
Hermione laughed and hugged each of them briefly. "Thank you for letting me into your home and cooking for you. I'll see you on Monday, James, and I'll keep your offer in mind, Marion."
They waved goodbye once again and closed the door. "That was some food!" Harry said as he rubbed his stomach. "I don't know if I'll be able to move for a while..."
Tonks stepped up to him and hugged him gently. "I know what you mean... It looks like she's getting used to being independent..."
Harry smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead when a knock came at the front door.
"I wonder who that could be?" Tonks said as she went to see who their new caller was.
"Keep your wand ready," Harry said warningly as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He followed behind her, ready to hex whoever it was should they make any aggressive moves.
"Hello?" she asked as she opened the door slightly to look out.
"Excuse me, but was that Hermione Granger that just left?" an aggravatingly familiar voice floated in from outside.
"Who's asking?" Harry commanded from behind Tonks.
"I'm her boyfriend," Ron said loudly. "I've been trying to see her since she moved into the castle, but they won't allow me on the school grounds."
"And with good reason," Harry said as he took over for Tonks. "She specifically requested that nobody is to see her without her express invitation."
"Do you know her?" Ron asked darkly.
"I work with her," Harry said warningly. "Now I suggest you go about your business so my wife and I may retire for the evening."
"Dear, be careful," Tonks said quietly. "He looks like he's ready to fight."
"Can you get me in to see her?" Ron asked as he fidgeted.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot," Harry replied. "Good evening to you, sir." Harry cautiously stepped back and closed the door before locking it.
"He looked more nervous than confrontational," Harry whispered as they stepped back from the door. Tonks went to the nearest window and saw that Ron had already left.
"Maybe we should set the wards against him before we go to bed," Tonks suggested quietly as she walked back to him. "Just in case..."
"I'm way ahead of you," Harry said with a grim look on his face. "Wandless magic is handy; did you notice how he was fidgeting?"
Tonks nodded.
"The wards were set to make him feel uncomfortable and try to leave as quickly as possible. The longer he stays, the more uncomfortable he becomes," Harry explained. "I didn't want to do anything to hurt him..."
"I know, Love," she said as she pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry that you two grew apart..."
Harry wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Why don't you get ready for bed? I should make sure he's not trying to follow her to the gates."
"Be careful," she said with a peck to his cheek.
"I will," Harry reassured her. He grabbed his invisibility cloak from under one of the chair cushions and after wrapping himself with its protective fabric, disapparated. He appeared at the gates to Hogwarts and began walking slowly towards Hogsmeade. He heard shouting not far away and picked up his pace to reach the two people he knew were fighting.
"RON! YOU'RE HURTING ME! LET... GO!" Hermione bellowed as she tried to yank her arm out of his grip.
"Not until you tell me why you left!" he spat back. "Was it Harry?! Did he talk you into leaving me?!"
"Harry had nothing to do with my decision to leave you, Ron!" she said angrily. "I found out about your lies and I've had enough of it!"
"I wasn't lying!" he retorted hotly, "They were! They were all lying to you!"
"Right, Ron, and Harry's Voldemort in disguise!" Hermione said sarcastically. "Let me go and leave me alone! I don't want to see you again!"
Ron's anger got the best of him and before Hermione could react; his free hand went into the air. She cringed at the impending impact but when it didn't come, she opened her eyes to see a very confusing sight.
"What the bloody hell?!" Ron shrieked. His arm seemed to be stuck in mid swing.
"I suggest you let the young lady go," Harry said as he pulled his cloak from around his shoulders with his free hand. "She clearly doesn't want to be seen by or with you, and you really shouldn't raise your hand to a woman."
"Who the bloody hell do you think you are?!" Ron bellowed as he wrenched his hand free from Harry's vice-like grip. "This is a private matter between Hermione and me so piss off!"
"As tempting as your offer sounds, I think it wise you unhand Miss Granger," Harry said evenly. "We don't need any violence here."
"You've found it, mate!" Ron said dangerously as he whipped his wand from his pocket. Harry had him beat by several seconds and a carefully placed stunning spell had the redhead falling unconscious to the ground.
"I'm sorry I had to do that, Hermione," Harry said as he kicked Ron's wand away from his limp hand. "He stopped by our place just after you left and I thought it wise to follow, in case he tried something like this."
Hermione stared wide-eyed at her ex-boyfriend, seething with both anger and fear. "I... He-he's never raised his hand to me before," she said breathlessly. "This can't be the man that I..."
Harry stepped over the prone form of his most certainly ex-best friend and hugged Hermione gently. "Why don't you come back to the house and use the Floo," he said comfortingly. "It's much closer than the school grounds and you can try and relax a bit before you leave."
Harry was surprised to have Hermione hugging him back, let alone burying her face in his shoulder, but he did nothing to stop her. He took her in his arms and led her slowly back to the house.
"What happened?" Tonks asked worriedly as Harry handed her his cloak and led Hermione to the sofa.
"That Ron fellow caught up with Hermione and manhandled her," Harry explained. "Could you watch her while I report this to the Auror division?"
Without another word, Tonks brought Hermione something to drink and began examining her for marks while Harry Flooed in and called for an Auror to help with Ron. A few seconds after he pulled his head from the fireplace, a knock came at the door and Harry left with Alastor Moody.
"What's Weasley done this time?" he grumbled as the two of them trudged up the road to where Ron still lay unconscious.
"He was about to hit Hermione," Harry said angrily. "He'd already bruised her up pretty good with the grip he had on her."
"Keep your feelings in check, James," Moody said warningly. "We know how you feel about this..."
A few minutes later, Ron was in handcuffs and his wand confiscated. Moody cast an energizing charm on him and Ron looked around angrily.
"Where is the bloody git?!" he growled and settled his gaze on Harry.
"You'll be doing nothing tonight, Ron," Moody said gruffly. "A night in a low security cell at Azkaban should sober you up a bit."
"A-Azkaban?" Ron stuttered helplessly.
"Assault, Mr. Weasley," Moody said with a disappointing shake of his head. "You should have learned after those two girls you beat last time. Second warning is a night in Azkaban, multiple offenses get you longer stays."
"I-I didn't beat anyone!" Ron protested, the fear settling in quickly.
"I have a witness and the victim that say otherwise, Ron," Moody grunted. "You know the law. It was explained to you by your father when he offered to be your council last time."
"Weasley?" Harry asked as if he'd just made the connection. "Ronald Weasley, one of the heroes of the war?" he asked incredulously.
Ron snapped his head towards Harry angrily, "Yeah, what of it?"
"I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, Mr. Weasley," Harry said evenly. "It seems the history books left something out, I'll have to change my curriculum concerning the last war."
Moody grunted a laugh. "We can't all be as straight and narrow as Harry Potter," Moody said with a concealed wink, watching Ron grow angrier by the second with his magical eye. "That lad did us proud when he joined the Auror division."
"Mr. Moody, would it be asking too much for you to make an appearance in my class?" Harry asked with mock enthusiasm. "I'm sure the students would enjoy hearing about your experiences and any stories you might have..."
"That might be fun," Moody said with a laugh. "Talk to my chief and we'll see what we can do. In the meantime, it's off for a cozy night with a dementor for this one."
Ron's anger seemed to leave him immediately. His once red face turned a sickly green then pure white as all the color drained away.
"Come on, Ron," Moody said irritatingly. "I'll do you a favor and not let Molly know about this, but you better hope that Skeeter doesn't catch wind or it could be bad for your whole family."
Harry watched with satisfaction as Moody took hold of the handcuffs that Ron was chained in and the two disappeared without a sound. "Portkey handcuffs... Sure makes it easier..." he mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked back to the house.
"What happened?" Tonks asked quietly from the sofa. Hermione was sitting beside her, head bowed and sipping occasionally from a mug of hot cocoa. Tonks was rubbing her back gently, trying to comfort their friend.
"Mr. Moody has taken him to Azkaban," Harry informed them. "It was his second offense and that meant a night in a low security cell."
"Second offense?" Hermione asked, turning around to look at him properly. Harry winced when he saw her red, puffy eyes and the tearstains on her cheeks.
"That's what Mr. Moody said," Harry nodded as he sat in a chair next to the sofa. "It seems Mr. Weasley assaulted two girls at some point."
They both watched as anger boiled within Hermione but it seemed to be fighting with sadness. "It serves him right!" Hermione said angrily. "Another thing he's lied about!" She set the empty mug on the coffee table and wiped at the new batch of tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.
"Why don't you stay in our guest room for the night?" Tonks asked quietly, patting Hermione's arm reassuringly.
"I couldn't put you out," Hermione said quickly, letting her anger fall to more acceptable levels. "You've both done so much for me already," she turned to Harry and smiled apologetically. "Thank you for helping me, James."
"Something didn't feel right about him, I wasn't going to let you walk back with someone like that trying to track you down," he said with a shrug. "Why don't you stay the night, rest, and go back to the school when you're feeling better?" he offered with a smile. "I'm sure Minerva and Albus will understand, considering the circumstances..."
Hermione looked from Tonks to Harry and sighed. "Thank you," she said quietly.
"Let's get you something to sleep in," Tonks said with a smile. "I think I've got something that will fit."
Harry smiled encouragingly and Stood with the women before they disappeared upstairs. He slumped into his chair and sighed, wondering what had happened to his best friends.
An hour later, Harry stepped into the master bedroom to find Tonks sitting on the edge of the bed. "How is she?" he asked quietly.
"She's like any of the young women we've had to deal with in the special victims' division," she said with a tired sigh. "For all intents and purposes, Ron may as well have raped her."
Harry winced at the word Tonks used to describe the situation but didn't argue the point. He sat beside his partner and sighed miserably. "I don't know what happened," he whispered quietly. "He's never acted like this before... Ron's never raised a hand to hit anybody, only Malfoy and his goons," he explained so only Tonks could hear.
She reached over and hugged him tightly. "People change," she said comfortingly, kissing his temple. "Sometimes they change so much you don't recognize them anymore..."
Harry tried to keep the conflicting emotions from bothering him. His love for Hermione, his sadness at losing his best friends, the anger he'd pushed aside when Hermione needed his help, but most of all, the helplessness he was currently feeling.
Tonks slowly stroked his hair and whispered quietly in his ear, "It's alright, Harry, you don't have to hold it in... I've seen the worst of it and you've seen me too..."
Harry hugged her around her middle and buried his face in her breasts then finally let loose the pain he was feeling. The entire time, Tonks stroked his hair, kissed the top of his head gently, and whispered soothing words into his ear.